Matthew 13
13
1Later that day Jesus left the house, and sat down to teach#13:1. Implied. The religious teachers sat down when they wanted to instruct their disciples. beside the sea. 2So many people gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down there to teach, while all the crowds stood on the beach. 3He explained many things to them, using stories as illustrations.#13:3. “Stories as illustrations,” literally, “parables.”
“The sower went out to sow,” he began. 4“As he was sowing, some of the seeds fell on the path. The birds came and ate them up. 5Other seeds fell on stony ground where there wasn't much earth where they sprouted quickly. 6The sun rose and scorched them and they withered because they had no roots. 7Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked them. 8Still other seeds fell on good soil. They produced a harvest—some one hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what had been planted. 9Anybody who has ears should be listening!”
10The disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Why do you use illustrations when you speak to the people?”
11“You're privileged to have revealed to you the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but they're not given such insights,” Jesus replied. 12“Those who already have#13:12. Probably meaning “have understanding.” will have more given to them, more than enough. But those who don't have, whatever they have will be taken away from them. 13That's why I speak to them in illustrations. For even though they see, they don't see; and even though they hear, they don't hear; nor do they understand.#13:13. Jesus was referencing the Old Testament here. It could be any of these: Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 42:20, Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2.
14The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in them: ‘Even though you hear, you won't understand, and even though you see, you won't perceive. 15They have a hard-hearted attitude, they don't want to listen, and they've closed their eyes. If they didn't they might be able to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand in their minds. Then they could return to me and I would heal them.’#13:15. Quoting Isaiah 6:9-10.
16Your eyes are blessed, for they see. Your ears are blessed too, for they hear. 17I'm telling you, many prophets and good people longed to see what you're seeing, but didn't see it. They longed to hear what you're hearing, but didn't hear it.
18So listen to the story of the sower. 19When people hear the message about the kingdom and don't understand it, the evil one comes along and rips out what was sown in them. This is what happens to the seeds sown on the path. 20The seeds sown on stony ground are people who hear the message and happily accept it straight away. 21They last for a while, but because they don't have roots, when problems and troubles come, they quickly fall away. 22The seeds sown among thorns are people who hear the message, but then life's worries and the temptation of money choke the message so that they become fruitless. 23The seeds sown on good soil are people who hear the message, and understand it, and who produce a good harvest—some one hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.”
24Then he told them another illustrated story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who sowed good seeds in his field. 25But while his workers were sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weed seeds#13:25. Actually “darnel,” or “false wheat,” a weed that looked similar to wheat. on top of the wheat. Then they left. 26So when the wheat grew and produced ears of grain, the weeds also grew up. 27The farmer's workers came and asked him, ‘Sir, didn't you sow good seeds in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
28‘Some enemy has done this,’ he replied. ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ they asked him. 29‘No,’ he answered, ‘as you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat too. 30Let them both grow until harvest, and then at harvest-time I'll tell the reapers to first gather the weeds, tie them up into bundles and burn them, and then gather the wheat and store it in my barn.’”
31He gave them another illustration: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a farmer sowed in his field. 32Even though it's the tiniest of seeds it grows much bigger than other plants. In fact it grows into a tree big enough for birds to roost in its branches.”
33He told them another illustrated story: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed with a large quantity#13:33. Approximately 50 pounds, or 23 kilos. of flour, until all the dough was raised.” 34Jesus explained all these things to the crowds using illustrated stories—in fact he didn't speak to them without using stories. 35This fulfilled the prophet's words: “I will speak using stories, and I will explain things hidden from the creation of the world.”#13:35. Quoting Psalms 78:2.
36Then Jesus left the crowds and went into a house. His disciples came over to him, and asked him, “Please explain to us the story about the weeds in the field.”
37“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of man,” Jesus explained. 38“The field is the world. The good seeds are the children of the kingdom. The weed seeds are the children of the evil one. 39The enemy that sowed the weed seeds is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are harvested and burned so it will be at the end of the world. 41The Son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather up every sinful thing and everyone who does evil, 42and will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. 43Then those who live right will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.#13:43. See Daniel 12:3. Anybody with ears should be listening!
44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, reburied it, and then full of joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45The kingdom of heaven is also like a trader looking for good pearls. 46When he found the most expensive pearl ever he went and sold all he had and bought it. 47Or again, the kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net thrown into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full it was dragged ashore. The good fish were put into baskets while the bad ones were thrown away.
49That's the way it will be when the end of the world comes. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from the good, 50and throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
51Now do you understand everything?”
“Yes,” they replied.
52“This is why every religious teacher who's learned about the kingdom of heaven is like a house-owner who brings out from his storeroom both new and old treasures,” Jesus said.
53After Jesus finished telling these stories, he left. 54He went back to his home town#13:54. Nazareth. and taught in the synagogue there. People were amazed, and asked, “Where does he get his wisdom and miracles from? 55Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and his brothers James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? 56Don't his sisters live here among us? So where does he get all this from?” 57And so they refused to believe in him.
“A prophet is honored everywhere except in his homeland and in his family,” Jesus told them. 58Since they failed to trust in him, he did not do many miracles there.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Matthew 13
13
A Story About Planting Seed
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore. 3Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it all up. 5Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. 6But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. 8Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more. 9Let those with ears use them and listen.”
Why Jesus Used Stories to Teach
10The followers came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you use stories to teach the people?”
11Jesus answered, “You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets. 12Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them. 13This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand. 14So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true:
‘You will listen and listen, but you will not understand.
You will look and look, but you will not learn.
15For the minds of these people have become stubborn.
They do not hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might really understand
what they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears.
They might really understand in their minds
and come back to me and be healed.’#Isaiah 6:9–10
16But you are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears. 17I tell you the truth, many prophets and good people wanted to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they wanted to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them.
Jesus Explains the Seed Story
18“So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer. 19What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person’s heart. 20And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy. 21But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up. 22And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person’s life. 23But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”
A Story About Wheat and Weeds
24Then Jesus told them another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. 25That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and then left. 26Later, the wheat sprouted and the heads of grain grew, but the weeds also grew. 27Then the man’s servants came to him and said, ‘You planted good seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?’ 28The man answered, ‘An enemy planted weeds.’ The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to pull up the weeds?’ 29The man answered, ‘No, because when you pull up the weeds, you might also pull up the wheat. 30Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the workers, “First gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.” ’ ”
Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast
31Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. 32That seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes big enough for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches.”
33Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise.”
34Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people; he always used stories to teach them. 35This is as the prophet said:
“I will speak using stories;
I will tell things that have been secret since the world was made.”#Psalm 78:2
Jesus Explains About the Weeds
36Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His followers came to him and said, “Explain to us the meaning of the story about the weeds in the field.”
37Jesus answered, “The man who planted the good seed in the field is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed are all of God’s children who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those people who belong to the Evil One. 39And the enemy who planted the bad seed is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the age, and the workers who gather are God’s angels.
40“Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil. 42The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace, where the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain. 43Then the good people will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let those with ears use them and listen.
Stories of a Treasure and a Pearl
44“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. He was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned to buy that field.
45“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. 46When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
A Story of a Fishing Net
47“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was put into the lake and caught many different kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw away the bad fish. 49It will be this way at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people. 50The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”
51Jesus asked his followers, “Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes, we understand.”
52Then Jesus said to them, “So every teacher of the law who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings out both new things and old things he has saved.”
Jesus Goes to His Hometown
53When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, he left there. 54He went to his hometown and taught the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power to do miracles? 55He is just the son of a carpenter. His mother is Mary, and his brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56And all his sisters are here with us. Where then does this man get all these things?” 57So the people were upset with Jesus.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and in his own home.”
58So he did not do many miracles there because they had no faith.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.